1. Field
The following description relates generally to data protection and more particularly to replacing keys in a cryptographic system.
2. Background
Persons who intend to maliciously alter and/or use data for their own purposes can intercept information transmitted digitally. As such, digitally transmitted information is often cryptographically authenticated to ensure the information sent arrives at its destination in a substantially similar form as it was sent and also to verify and/or identify the originator.
Public-key cryptography systems are implemented in devices, including portable devices, for data security and provide cryptographic signatures. Public-key or asymmetric cryptography systems typically provide a user with a private key and a public key for authentication purposes. Generally, the public key is shared with others while the private key is kept private or secret to the user. That is, the private key remains in the device and the public key is sent to one or more targeted entries. In this way, the device may be used by the owner to establish relationships with the targeted entities, providing the owner access to secured items, including doors, bank accounts, computer networks, etc.
A device and a private key stored in the device, might be stolen, lost, broken, destroyed, or otherwise in need of replacement. In the case of theft, the owner of the device needs to mitigate an amount of damage the thief can cause by such thief having possession of the device. Generally, when an owner desires to replace the device, the owner authenticates a key of a new token by way of utilizing a key of an old token. This method suffers from the drawback that it requires the owner to have both the old token (old private and public key pair) and the new token (new private and public key pair) at the same time, which is not possible if the device is stolen, or damaged beyond use.